Brooklyn (2015) - Quiet Period Drama about Home

Rare as it is for quality period drama films to appear at
the U.S box office, when they show up, it’s nearly guaranteed I’ll be noticing
them. Such was the case with last year’s Brooklyn.
Though I didn’t know much about it at the time (whether or not critics liked it
or how the script ended things) I didn’t seem to care about the details. I was
going to see this one no matter what. Now I finally have, there are, naturally,
feelings to put to paper.

Ireland is home to Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan). It’s all
she’s ever known until, as she enters adulthood, the opportunities for a
young lady in the small village limit her. As her best friend is falling in
love with the man of her dreams and with a work position that’s less than
ideal, Eilis’ life is less than she imagines. Her sister, Rose (Fiona Glascott) arranges for
Eilis to go to America where she has secured a place through the assistance of
a priest who helps immigrants.

With the long and exhaustive journey behind her, heartbreak hits Eilis with great force. Despite the cheerful young women
sharing her boarding house, Eilis is lovely and homesick in ways she cannot
even describe. She walks through her days as if drowning… until she meets Tony
(Emory Cohen). A gentleman who is struck by Eilis from the moment he sees her, Tony is a
hardworking Italian Brooklyn native with three brothers. As the two of them
begin to spend time together, Eilis’ life changes and she again knows
happiness. And then she receives devastating news from home… news that might
call her back to the place she called home.

Good enough to be an Oscar nominated film (for more than one
category), Brooklyn is one of those
films that doesn’t say a lot and yet, says so much. The story is a gentle one
that doesn’t hurry itself or rush its characters journey (in fact, it’s 40+
minutes into the nearly 2-hour script before Tony and longer still for another prominent character to
appear in Eilis’ life). As I watched this adaptation (based on a novel of the
same name) unfurl, I was captivated and also curious that the primary plot (or
what I thought was) hadn’t even hinted at taking shape.

“...the next time you tell me you love me, if there is a next time, I'll, I'll say I love you too.”

Going into this, I had a different idea of what it’d be.
To begin, I didn’t realize this would move as slowly as it did. For over half
of the film I was understanding of this and appreciated the importance of it,
but at rare times I wanted to shake the characters to do or say something (or
in one area of her life, slap Eilis silly – and then, immediately after that,
hug her for finding her bravado). Fortunately, such instances were few and the
thrust of the film being quiet was vitally important. As those early forty
minutes stay with Eilis, we are better able to sympathize with her story and
what it meant for her to leave home. Ronan’s portrayal of her is
heartbreakingly beautiful. The layers she has and the transformation that comes
of her shedding those layers is lovely. Similarly, the rest of the cast is
phenomenal. I enjoyed seeing a new actor in a leading man role, and also
seeing the talents of Julie Walters and Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow) in an all-too-small role.

Like the rest of the script, the romance is anything but
“passionate.” I enjoyed how this part of the story was written and the fact
that it does look at a blossoming romance as a more genuine, “real”
relationship. There was one thing I felt the writer’s did in error that, in my
opinion, almost “ruined” the quiet charm of the relationship up until then. A
different approach would have been welcome and far sweeter to complete the
romance. But beyond that, I’ve no complaints. Though it goes without saying, I
cannot end without commenting on and praising the costume design. As usual,
it’s stunning. Eilis’ wardrobe is 50s proper and perfect, and I kinda' want it.

If you like this genre, Brooklyn
is a joy to discover. It’s a pleasant piece of cinema for more reasons than
one, not the least of which is its vision of “magic” as we rediscover everything through Eilis’ eyes in this special kind of coming-of-age story. (This post does contain affiliate links, which means – at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through a link. Read the disclosure page for details.) You can purchase Brooklyn on DVD and Bluray or you can rent/own on Amazon Video.

Content: there is an awkward (purposeful for the characters) sex scene that involves the
couple undressing and a close up shot of the woman’s face. One or two common
profanities crop up. Otherwise, there is nothing to cause concern. The film is
ratedPG13.

18 comments

Nice review Rissi! I finally got around to seeing this one too, and really enjoyed it. The performances were fantastic. The one dampener was the part which was where I assume you wanted to slap Eilis silly. I did too. :P That whole bit seemed really out of character for her. I had a hard time buying that she would have a hard time with that decision. But otherwise it was such a well-made film, and I loved her and Tony's romance. :)

A hundred times YES! I thought it ridiculous that Eilis would be so wishy-washy. But I do think the script was trying to show that, in returning to Ireland, she finally had everything she dreamed of before she left. So I suppose in that sense, remaining behind was tempting. Still... slapping her silly would have made ME feel better. ;)

Ditto. This was a well-produced film, and though it was quiet I was a fan of the romance between Tony and Eilis too. It was so beautiful - and he loved her so well. Such a sweet story. :)

YAY! I hope you enjoy it, Kristin. It's REALLY good. I'd love to know what you thought once you have a chance to see it. Happy watching - and thanks for stopping by with your thoughts. Always great to chat with you. :)

LOL! I totally understand this, Meghan. Sometimes if I've not seen/read something (especially if I plan to review it), I wait to read reviews 'til after I've seen/read it. I don't mind spoilers but sometimes, especially in writing, it's nice to go in with only your own thoughts cluttering your mind. :)

I absolutely loved this movie as well. I wish I could be as eloquent as you are in explaining my reasons why. I went into this movie without knowing anything aside from the fact that an Irish girl would move to NY. So I wasn't really bothered by the slower pace at all. It seemed like such a genuine, realistic story! I adore it. And the romance was perfect. Everything in this movie is understated, or not necessarily spoken, which makes it a joy to discover.

Hi Jolien! Thanks so much for visiting and sharing your impressions of this film. I agree 100% with your comment and your last sentence; because everything was quiet, everything was all the more joyous to discover. It's definitely the kind of film that let's us discover things through Eilis eyes and that's charming. :)

Ahhh, Rissi! You write such lovely reviews! I adored this movie! I loved it so much, I had to read the book afterward. :) While I loved the book too, I liked the movie's ending much better. I agree that the romance is much more real, and I think it only makes the movie better. OH my gosh, I want Eilis' wardrobe too!

I'm glad to hear from someone who has also read the book, Rachel. I wondered about it, but thought I'd read somewhere that the film ending was more complete - which I always prefer! I know there's kind of a "rule" that book lovers should also love the book best, but I often mind myself loving the films just as much. I guess (most of the time), I appreciate the creative process a film goes through and so long as the structure isn't changed, I usually cannot pick a favorite (book vs. film).

The romance is perfect and such a genuine example of real love. Also, YES! Can we raid Eilis' closet together!? :)

(SPOILERS) I liked the movie, but there were a couple things that didn't quite measure up for me. First- what I understood from the trailer and advertising was that she would be torn between two places and two guys. Two lives. But really, once she got married, I didn't really see how she had a choice between guys... So that felt awkward to me. Also- I didn't care for (or even understand why) certain things not done in proper order in their (physical) relationship.Overall, however, I did really enjoy the movie. Saoirse is lovely (as always) and I TOO ADORE her wardrobe. Why aren't those sort of swim-costumes still in style / easy to purchase? Great review, Rissi! ^^

I understand this, Joni. I think for me, her "choice" between the two lives came down to one thing. When she returned to Ireland, she have everything within her grasp that she didn't have when she left. So because of that (and because Ireland WAS the place she'd thought of as home), she was torn between the two worlds.

Yeah, the scene you reference (prior to their marriage) did ruin what had been, a sweet and charming courtship up until then. I think it was trying to show that Eilis had committed and she was ready to move forward in their relationship. Prior to this, she'd always held back pieces of herself. But I'd agree, it sort of sullied the relationship up until then.

Glad you stopped by with your thoughts, Joni! I enjoyed reading your impression of this one. :)

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